By Jane Roberts - The Commercial Appeal -

A Washington-based education advocate gives Memphis a C grade for ability to attract entrepreneurs who can reform schools.

The cities most receptive to reform, according to the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, are New Orleans, Washington, New York and Denver.

No city received an A.

Fordham's report was released Tuesday and called "America's Best (and Worst) Cities for School Reform." Since the institute wrapped up its research in December, Memphis and the state of Tennessee have adopted measures such as tying at least a third of teacher evaluations to student test scores.

The firms contracted to lead reform of the schools in Memphis say Fordham is out of touch.

"I don't know if (Fordham) is giving Memphis enough credit," said Steve Mancini, national spokesman for KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) charter schools. Mancini noted that cities rated best in human capital, such as Washington, New Orleans, New York and San Francisco, were praised for having alternative pathways for teacher and principal licensure and working with key reform groups.

"Memphis has done that too," he said. "We would give Memphis higher grades for having critical mass in reform groups, making it highly attractive."

Teach for America, New Leaders for New Schools and The New Teacher Project all have four-year, multimillion-dollar contracts as part of the reform plan Memphis City Schools has initiated with $90 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Memphis rates in the middle of the pack for "reform friendliness," based on public records and surveys Fordham conducted on topics that include human capital, financial capital, charter school environment and municipal environment.

While the city scored high (third out of 25) for municipal support, other responses showed that the city is a hard-sell when the firms try to recruit talent to Memphis.

Memphis lost points because new charter schools can only be authorized by school boards in Tennessee. While the city schools and the state of Tennessee have quality programs in place, surveyors said they are managed haphazardly.

Fordham, a Washington-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing K-12 education, compares its study to the annual lists of city competitiveness published by Forbes and Fortune.

New Leaders for New Schools, with a $2.8 million contract to recruit and train 40 principals from outside Memphis, calls district leaders "dynamic and committed."

"They have earned the support of community and civic leaders," said Rosa Smith, regional NLNS director.

Fordham would not disclose which national groups commented on Memphis, but the overall pool of contributors included the Gates Foundation, Achievement First, Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation, Charter School Growth Fund and EdisonLearning, among others.

-- Jane Roberts: 529-2512